The $145 million used for the project came from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s budget for fiscal year 2018.

The battle over barrier funding likely will influence the 2020 election, as left-leaning presidential candidates express bitter opposition to wall funding. It also underscores Trump’s effort to fulfill a major 2016 campaign promise.

A budget resolution must be signed by Friday night to stop a partial government shutdown.

“We’ll be looking for landmines, because you could have that,” Trump said. “You know, it’s been known to happen before to people.”

The organization explains: “Our team has already begun the process of identifying zones along the Southern Border that are known to be high-traffic areas for illegal crossings and smuggling operations. We are presently working with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol experts and other U.S. Border Security Service professionals who are highly experienced in these matters. We are beginning extensive due diligence and the commencement of feasibility studies and will be engaging leading experts in a variety of fields necessary to construct our Border Wall. These professionals will continue to provide us with critical guidance on the legal, engineering, contracting, environmental, accounting, maintenance, and real estate issues required to build a Wall along the Southern Border.”

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said he told the president the initial funding was a “down payment” on the security issue.

Democrats regularly insist barriers are expensive, immoral and they don’t work, denying statistics that show they sharply curtail illegal immigration.